With the NFL draft approaching, Indianapolis Colts' head coach Shane Steichen weighed in on the current state of the defensive line unit.
With players like DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu, and others, a strong foundation is very much there. However, depth remains a need for the Colts.
"I feel good about the edges," Steichen said at the NFL's annual league meeting. "Obviously getting inside with Buck and Grove, and then adding some pieces in free agency. But I think just depth, more than anything. You gotta have depth there at the defensive line, rotate those guys in and out and keep them fresh."
With Dayo Odeyingbo now in Chicago, there are a lot of snaps and production that now has to be replaced. Odeyingbo played over 700 defensive snaps last season and he led the team in pressures.
The return of Samson Ebukam, who missed the 2024 season with an Achilles injury, will be a big part of that equation. However, as GM Chris Ballard acknowledged, there are unknowns for a player coming off that type of injury.
It's going to be a group effort when it comes to making up for not having Odeyingbo, but a big jump from Laiatu Latu in Year 2 will be vital.
"He does it the right way," Steichen said via the team site at the NFL annual meeting. "The way he works, his work ethic is tremendous. I think you'll see a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2. I think he had four (sacks) his rookie year, if we can get into double digits in Year 2 that'd be tremendous."
While instant impact is what everyone is looking for in the draft, not to be overlooked is the planning ahead component of it, and if we look ahead to 2026, Paye, Ebukam, and Tyquan Lewis are all free agents, which heightens the urgency this year to add to that group.
When it comes to the defensive tackle spot, the Colts need more production from the rotational depth behind Buckner and Stewart. In 2024, by PFF's metrics, both Raekwon Davis and Taven Bryan ranked near the bottom of their position group in pass rush win rate and run stop rate.
Hopefully, the addition of Neville Gallimore provides more stability, and we see a jump from Adetomiwa Adebawore, but that's not a given either, so adding competition should continue to be on Ballard's to-do list.
Last season, this was a Colts' pass rush that ranked 22nd in pressure rate and 26th in sacks. But beyond adding to the depth, what should also help this group be more productive is Lou Anarumo's scheme. With opponents often relying on the quick passing game against the Colts in 2024, it made the defensive line's job of getting home much more difficult.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL draft: Shane Steichen weighs in on state of Colts' defensive ...